Rock crusher and grinding mill

ABSTRACT

A rock crusher and grinding mill combination adapted for use in grinding rock aggregate to a usable size for commercial and industrial purposes. The combination includes a horizontal metal base plate rock grinding member having an upstanding vertical center post with a rotatable hub member mounted thereon and having a hub with a sleeve bearing and a universal joint coupling mounted thereon for horizontal rotation, vertical sliding rise and fall action and free movement in all directions, and a rock grinding roller member affixed to said rotatable hub member. The said roller member having a plurality of roller units with each said unit having rollers mounted on a drive shaft connected to power means for travel around said center post with each of said rollers adapted for a toe-in position with said center post and for a skidding sideslip or rubbing action on the material placed on said base plate.

United States Patent [191 Young Sept. 25, 1973 [52] US. Cl 241/107,241/110, 241/126 [51] Int. Cl. B02c 15/00, B02c 15/14 [58] Field ofSearch 241/107, 109, 110,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1918 Lane 241/109 X12/1950 Newcomb et a1 241/109 Primary Examiner.1ames L. Jones, Jr.Assistant Examiner-E. F. Desmond Attorney-Blythe D. Watts et a].

[5 7] ABSTRACT A rock crusher and grinding mill combination adapted foruse in grinding rock aggregate to a usable size for commercial andindustrial purposes. The combination includes a horizontal metal baseplate rock grinding member having an upstanding vertical center postwith a rotatable hub member mounted thereon and having a hub with asleeve bearing and a universal joint coupling mounted thereon forhorizontal rotation, vertical sliding rise and fall action and freemovement in all directions, and a rock grinding roller member affixed tosaid rotatable hub member. The said roller member having a plurality ofroller units with each said unit having rollers mounted on a drive shaftconnected to power means for travel around said center post with each ofsaid rollers adapted for a toe-in position with said center post and fora skidding sideslip or rubbing action on the material placed on saidbase plate.

15 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures ROCK CRUSHER AND GRINDING MILLBACKGROUND 1. Field of Invention This invention relates primarily to theart of grinding and crushing rock and rock aggregates and the removal ofearthy material from said rock material and particularly to the field ofgrinding and crushing rocks-and rock aggregates for reducing such rockmaterial to usable sizes and for removing therefrom the earthymaterials, such as clay, for commercial and industrial purposes.

2. Description of the Prior Art The prior art which is known in thegrinding and crushing field including the rock and rock aggregate fieldis U. S. Pat. No. 13,996 to Ripley for grain mill; U. S. Pat. No. 42,055to Webster et al. for clay mills; U. S. Pat. No. 563,145 to Duffield andTaylor for crushing and grinding cement clinkers; U. S. Pat. No.3,408,052 to Simmons for method of milling; U. S. Pat. No. 3,458,142 toBerz'for roller-crushing mill and U. S. Pat. No. 3,610,414 to HaroldZumalt for crushing and screening apparatus.

SUMMARY In contrast with the prior rock grinding and crushing art in thefield of roller or rotating grinding and crushing apparatus, the presentinvention avoids the disadvantages found in such art in the followingrespects, among others: The combination of the invention includes aplurality of grinding roller units traveling on a fixed base platemember having a vertical fixed center post carrying thereon a rotatablehub member having a bearing sleeve slidably mounted for vertical riseand fall action and a universal joint coupling coupled to said bearingsleeve for free movement of said hub member in all directions. The saidroller units are affixed to said hub member for rotating thereabout withfree movement in all directions. Each such roller unit includes a powermeans connected to a rotatable drive shaft mounted in each said rollerunit and extending outwardly from said centerpost. There are severalrollers, preferably four in number, mounted in spaced relation on eachsaid drive shaft; The said drive shaft of each said unit is positionedoff of the centerline of said center post to give each roller a toe-inplacement with respect to said center post to provide a skiddingsideslip or rubbing action on the material placed on the base.

plate of the combination and to move such material from a center feedarea after being ground through the rotational movement of the innerroller of each unit adjacent the center post outwardly toward therollers next thereto for progressive and successive grinding by suchrollers and for the completion of the grinding operation when thematerial has moved outwardly from the outermost roller.

An important advantage of the invention over the prior art is found inthe combination which performs its function by using the material to beground as an integral part of the grinding operation. Another advantageis that the grinding units are free to wobble and rise or fall, thuspermitting the rotating grinders thereof to maintain, throughout thegrinding area, a continuous surface contact with the uneven materialsurface and varied thickness of the material being ground. Anotheradvantage is the improvement in the quality and the quantity of theproducts produced thereby. Still another advantage is the ability toincrease or decrease the grinding or crushing effect on the material asdesired. Another advantage is in the use of roller units having eitherelastic tire or non-elastic tire grinding surfaces. Another advantage isfound in a machine that is simple of design and inexpensive tomanufacture as well as operating costs.

Other advantages more or less ancillary to the foregoing will appear inthe following detailed description of the preferred embodiments asapplied illustratively to a rock crusher and grinding mill machine.

THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated in the drawings in whichconventional parts are omitted or merely indicated to clarify thespecification.

In the drawings: 7

FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view showing the rollers in two of theroller unit frames and power means connected thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, elevational view showing the roller unit, baseplate, center post, rotatable hub, scrapers, sleeve bearing, universaljoint couplingand water connections taken partly in section on the line2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the roller unit showing in detail a roller,water sprinkler and power means with a belt drive therefrom to a driveshaft taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, elevational view, partly in section, showingthe bolt and nut mounting between the inner end of the roller unit frameat its midpoint and the rotatable hub on the center post as taken on theline 4-4 of FIG. 1;

'FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, elevational view, partly in section, showing abolt and nut mounting between the inner end of the roller unit frameadjacent its side juncture and the rotatable hub on the center post astaken on the lines-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, elevational view of the center postand universal joint assembly.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The rock grinding and crushing apparatus ofthe invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing. The rockmaterial supply hopper associated therewith may be of any suitablestructure, preferably mounted centrally above the rock grindingapparatus and having one or more chutes to deliver the said rockmaterial to the central feed area of said base plate-apparatus. Thewater sprinkler system may be of any suitable structure and is used forremoving the deleterious material from the rock aggregate material andfor reducing the air pollution created by such material during thecrushing and grinding operation. The roller tires may be of any suitablestructure and preferably rubber tires for reducing the noise factorduring the crushing and grinding operation. The power means may be byelectrical motor or internal combustion motor as desired.

It will be seen that the apparatus combination of the inventioncomprises a base plate rock grinding member A, a rotatable hub member Band a rock grinding roller cular flange 12 mounted on the circumferenceof said base plate 1 1, an axially aligned circular aperture 13 in saidbase plate 11, a vertically positioned tubular center post 14 mounted onsaid base plate 11 and over said aperture 13 and in axial alignmenttherewith, apertures 15 in the base plate 1 l spaced apart around saidcenter post 14 and a water sprinkler supply line of pipe 16 below saidbase plate 11 and extending from a source (not shown) laterally to anL-shaped fitting 17 and rotary joint 17a mounted thereon and a collar 18having a position locking set screw 18a mounted thereon in axialalignment with said aperture 13 and upwardly therefrom through saidtubular center post 14 to a pipe tee coupling 19 threaded thereon abovethe top end 20 of said tubular center post 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, the said rotatable hub member B includes ahub bearing seat 30 fixedly mounted centrally on said center post 14, asleeve bearing 31 slidably mounted on said bearing seat 30, a rotatablehub or nave 32 with a hub axle wall 320 having a universal jointcoupling 33 coupled to said sleeve bearing 31 and said axle wall 32a,the said hub member B being rotatably and slidably mounted on saidcenter post 14 for rise and fall vertical movement through said bearingsleeve 31 and for free movement in all directions through said universaljoint coupling 33 during the rotation of said hub 32, the said sleevebearing 31 has a shoulder 34 adjacent its upper end for use, if desired,as a mounting for the material supply hopper, the said hub 32 has bars35 radiating therefrom.

The said hub member B also includes a rim 36 spaced apart from said hub32 and supported by and affixed to said bars 35. The said rim 36 has apolygonal outer edge 37 of equal sides 37a, preferably forming a regularhexagon, and a circular inner edge 38 and having a water channel 39adjacent its said inner edge 38.

The said rim 36 has aperture 40 adjacent the said outer edge 37positioned at the midpoint of each of such polygonal side 37a and a pairof apertures 41 positioned adjacent each angle of said polygonal sides37a. The said apertures 40 and 41 are adapted to receive bolts 42 and43, respectively, for attachment of units of said roller member C. v

As shown in FIG. 2, the water supply pipe 16 branches from said pipe teecoupling 19 through hose extensions in opposite directions toconnections such as L-shaped fittings 44 in said water channel 39 of therim 36.

As further shown in FIG. 2, the said hub 32 has adjustable plow typeangling scraper units 45 attached thereto and for rotation therewith.The said scraper units 45 are positioned with their scraper blades 46adjacent the said base plate 11 and directly below the material chutes47. The said scraper units 45 have a truncated conical sleeve 48 mountedfor rotation around the said center post 14 adjacent said base plate 11and arms 49 connecting said scraper blades 46 to said sleeve 48.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the said rock grinding roller member Cincludes a plurality of similar rock grinding roller units 60. Each suchunit has a rectangular carriage frame 61 with an inner end rail 62 andan outer end rail 63 that is substantially equal to one of the polygonalsides 37a of the said outer edge 37 of said rim 36 of the hub member Band having side rails 64 and 65, respectively, of adequate length toenclose a roller unit 60.

Each of said carriage frames 61 has a U-shaped frame 66 mounted on theouter end rail 63 thereof and in horizontal alignment therewith and asimilar U-shaped frame 67 mounted on the side rail 64 thereof adjacentthe said outer end rail 63 and in horizontal alignment with saidcarriage frame 61. The said U-shaped frame 67 is adapted to receiveweights to be added where needed for the grinding operation.

Each of said carriage frames 61 has a rotatable drive shaft 68 mountedthereon by means of a journaled bearing 69 mounted under the inner rail62 and a journaled bearing 70 mounted under the U-shaped frame 66 and asimilar journaled bearing 70 on the frame 63 and positioned in radialalignment with said hub 32.

Each such rotatable drive shaft 68 has a plurality of roller wheels 71,preferably four in number, fixedly mounted in spaced relation thereonfor rotation therewith and each such wheel 71 has a rock grinding tire72 mounted thereon, preferably a pneumatic rubber tire as shown.

The drive shaft 68 of each roller wheel unit 60 has an inner rollerwheel spacer 73 or'a like outer roller wheel spacer 74 mounted thereonfor the adjustable alignment of the roller wheel tire path of circulartravel of said wheels on the base plate. The inner wheel spacer 73 ispositioned adjacent the inner journaled bearing 69 and the outer wheelspacer 74 is positioned adjacent the outer bearing 70. The tire paths ofthe wheel tires may be changed as desired for travel on an inner path oran outer path or travel in alternate paths through the placement of therespective spacers 73 and 74.

Further the said drive shaft 68 of each roller unit 60 is connected forrotation to a power supply means 75 in any suitable manner, preferablyas shown, through a shaft mounted gear reducer with pulley housing 76fixedly mounted thereon adjacent the outer journaled bearing 70 andthrough a V belt 77 to a variable speed pulley 78 of an electric motor79 in alignment therewith. The said motor 79 being mounted on the U-shaped frame 66 of the frame 61 adjacent the end rail 63 thereof.

The electric power source for a motor may be as desired such as beingtaken off of a central contact ring (not shown) in the tubular centerpost 14 and brought to said motor through wires laid on the hub bars 35and side rails 65 of the frame 61.

The water supply system is extended from the water channel 39 of the hubmember B to the rock grinding member C by tapping a hole 80 in the saidwater channel 39 adjacent the forward side rail 65 of each roller unit60 and attaching thereto one end of a water hose 81. The other end ofsaid hose 81 is attached to a horizontal spray bar 82 having spacedapart nozzles 83 and which is mounted on said side rail 65 andpositioned below said rail 65 with the nozzles directed toward the baseplate 11 as is shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing.

It has been found that when the said frame 60 is pivoted toward the rail65 so that the said drive shaft 68 is 6 degrees 05 of the center line ofsaid center post 14, it will provide satisfactory toe-in placement ofthe tires 72 for a skidding sideslip rubbing action on the materialplaced on the base plate 11.

It will be seen that since the said rock grinding roller members C arepivotally mounted in apertures 40 at the midpoint of the frame rail 62that the grinding tires 1 will rotate on the rock material placed on thebase plate 11 so that the rock material is a grinding element of theoperation resulting from the said toe-in placement of the tires 72.

Further, it will be seen that the hub member B is slidably mounted onsaid center post 14 for vertical slidable movement thereon and isadditionally mounted thereon through a universal joint coupling for freemovement in all directions and that the rock grinding roller member C ispivotally connected to said hub member B so that the said grinder wheeltires 72 of said member C are free to maintain contact and grindingaction on the material being ground whether the surface of, andthickness of, the material is uniform orvaried.

Having thus described this invention in such full, clear, concise andexact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, and having set forth the best modecontemplated of carrying out this invention, 1 state that the subjectmatter which I regard as being my invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in what is claimed, it being understood thatequivalents or modifications of, or substitutions for, parts of theabove specifically described embodiment of the invention may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in whatis claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. A rock crusher and grinding mill apparatus, as described, forgrinding rock aggregate, the said apparatus comprising:

a. an apparatus support frame having a horizontal rock grinding baseplate means mounted thereon and material supply chute meansmountedthereabove for depositing rock material on the rock grinding areathereof, and means for retaining said material in the rock grindingarea, thesaid base plate having an upstanding vertical tubular centerpost mounted centrally thereon,

b. a hub means mounted on said center post as the axle thereof andhaving a rotatable hub for horizontal rotation around said center post,the said hub having slidable and universal joint coupling means for freemovement in all directions during the rotation thereof, the said hubhaving spaced apart support bars radiating outwardly to a rim means ofsaid hub means, the said rim means being mounted on said support barsadjacent the outer ends thereof,

c. rock grinding roller means pivotally attached to said hub rim meansof said hub means for rotation therewith around said center post as anaxle, d. the said rock grinding roller means comprising a plurality ofgrinding roller units having a carriage support frame means and a driveshaft'for each such unit, the drive shafts having joumaled bearingsmounted on said carriage support frame means in radial alignment withsaid center post and a plurality of roller wheel grinders fixedlymounted on said drive shafts for rotation therewith,

e. power means for each said grinding roller unit mounted on saidcarriage support frame and rotatively connected to each said drive shaftfor the rotation thereof,

f. water spray pipe means extending from a rotary pipe joint within saidcenter post bypiping to said carriage support frames and to spraynozzles adjacent said roller wheel grinders to provide water forscrubbing the material and removal of substantial earthy materials andreducing air pollution during the grinding operation, and

g. offsetting means on said carriage support frames for ofisetting saiddrive shafts from radial alignment with said center post axle for toe-inand side slip action of said roller wheel grinders.

2. The rock crushing and grinding mill apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein the base plate has a circumferential flange mounted thereon toretain the grinding material in the grinding area.

3. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe base plate means has a scraper means having at least one adjustableblade mounted on said hub means with the said blade adjacent said baseplate to move the material for grinding into the grinding area of saidbase plate.

4. The said rock crushing and grinding mill apparatus defined in claim 1wherein the said hub of said hub means has the said universal jointcoupling assembly coupled to the hub axle wall thereof and to a sleevebearing slidably mounted for vertical movement on a bearing seatattached to said center post and for free universal joint movement inall directions for said hub means and said rock grinding roller means.

5. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 4 wherein theroller wheel grinders maintain continuous surface contact with theuneven material surface and varied thickness of the material during thegrinding action. a i

6. The rock crushing and grinding mill apparatus as defined in claim 1wherein the said hub means has a hub with at least three spaced apartsupport bars radiating outwardly therefrom and having rim means mountedthereon adjacent the outer ends thereof.

7. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 wherein theouter edge of said hub rim means is a regular hexagon and the saidcarriage support frame means is a rectangular frame and having the innerrail of each saidcarriage support frame of said rock grinding rollermeans aligned with said hexagon side and having said frame inner railpivotally connected to said rim centrally thereof.

8. The rock crushing and grinding mill defined in claim 7 in which thesaid offsetting means on said carriage support frames are slot aperturesin the inner rails thereof adjacent each end and aligned slot aperturesin the said hub rim means and having adjustable securing means thereforin said slots. I

9. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe hub rim mean-s has a water channel therein connected to said spraywater means piping with outlet ports therein adjacent each said grindingroller unit for distributing water to said spray nozzles thereof.

10. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe roller wheel grinders have replaceable grinder tires mountedthereon.

11. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 10 in whichthe grinder tires are treaded pneumatic rubber tires.

12. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe said grinding roller units have at least two said roller wheelgrinders mounted on each said drive shaft thereof.

13. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 12 in whichthe spacing of the roller grinder wheels on the drive shaft of a rollerunit is offset from the spacing of the roller grinding wheels on theadja- 15. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in cent driveshafts. claim 1 in which the carriage support frame means has 14. Therock crushing and grinding mill as defined in a side frame mountedthereon adapted to receive claim 1 in which the power means are electricmotors weights for added grinding pressure on hard rock matehaving apower take-off from a central ring contact on rial.

the said center post.

1. A rock crusher and grinding mill apparatus, as described, forgrinding rock aggregate, the said apparatus comprising: a. an apparatussupport frame having a horizontal rock grinding base plate means mountedthereon and material supply chute means mounted thereabove fordepositing rock material on the rock grinding area thereof, and meansfor retaining said material in the rock grinding area, the said baseplate having an upstanding vertical tubular center post mountedcentrally thereon, b. a hub means mounted on said center post as theaxle thereof and having a rotatable hub for horizontal rotation aroundsaid center post, the said hub having slidable and universal jointcoupling means for free movement in all directions during the rotationthereof, the said hub having spaced apart support bars radiatingoutwardly to a rim means of said hub means, the said rim means beingmounted on said support bars adjacent the outer ends thereof, c. rockgrinding roller means pivotally attached to said hub rim means of saidhub means for rotation therewith around said center post as an axle, d.the said rock grinding roller means comprising a plurality of grindingroller units having a carriage support frame means and a drive shaft foreach such unit, the drive shafts having journaled bearings mounted onsaid carriage support frame means in radial alignment with said centerpost and a plurality of roller wheel grinders fixedly mounted on saiddrive shafts for rotation therewith, e. power means for each saidgrinding roller unit mounted on said carriage support frame androtatively connected to each said drive shaft for the rotation thereof,f. water spray pipe means extending from a rotary pipe joint within saidcenter post by piping to said carriage support frames and to spraynozzles adjacent said roller wheel grinders to provide water forscrubbing the material and removal of substantial earthy materials andreducing air pollution during the grinding operation, and g. offsettingmeans on said carriage support frames for offsetting said drive shaftsfrom radial alignment with said center post axle for toe-in and sideslip action of said roller wheel grinders.
 2. The rock crushing andgrinding mill apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the base plate hasa circumferential flange mounted thereon to retain the grinding materialin the grinding area.
 3. The rock crushing and grinding mill as definedin claim 1 in which the base plate means has a scraper means having atleast one adjustable blade mounted on said hub means with the said bladeadjacent said base plate to move the material for grinding into thegrinding area of said base plate.
 4. The said rock crushing and grindingmill apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein the said hub of said hub meanshas the said universal joint coupling assembly coupled to the hub axlewall thereof and to a sleeve bearing slidably mounted for verticalmovement on a bearing seat attached to said center post and for freeuniversal joint movement in all directions for said hub means and saidrock grinding roller means.
 5. The rock crushing and grinding mill asdefined in claim 4 wherein the roller wheel grinders maintain continuoussurface contact with the uneven material surface and varied thickness ofthe material during the grinding action.
 6. The rock crushing andgrinding mill apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the said hub meanshas a hub with at least three spaced apart support bars radiatingoutwardly therefrom and having rim means mounted thereon adjacent theouter ends thereof.
 7. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined inclaim 1 wherein the outer edge of said hub rim means is a regularhexagon and the said carriage support frame means is a rectangular frameand having the inner rail of each said carriage support frame of saidrock grinding roller meanS aligned with said hexagon side and havingsaid frame inner rail pivotally connected to said rim centrally thereof.8. The rock crushing and grinding mill defined in claim 7 in which thesaid offsetting means on said carriage support frames are slot aperturesin the inner rails thereof adjacent each end and aligned slot aperturesin the said hub rim means and having adjustable securing means thereforin said slots.
 9. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined inclaim 1 in which the hub rim means has a water channel therein connectedto said spray water means piping with outlet ports therein adjacent eachsaid grinding roller unit for distributing water to said spray nozzlesthereof.
 10. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1in which the roller wheel grinders have replaceable grinder tiresmounted thereon.
 11. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined inclaim 10 in which the grinder tires are treaded pneumatic rubber tires.12. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe said grinding roller units have at least two said roller wheelgrinders mounted on each said drive shaft thereof.
 13. The rock crushingand grinding mill as defined in claim 12 in which the spacing of theroller grinder wheels on the drive shaft of a roller unit is offset fromthe spacing of the roller grinding wheels on the adjacent drive shafts.14. The rock crushing and grinding mill as defined in claim 1 in whichthe power means are electric motors having a power take-off from acentral ring contact on the said center post.
 15. The rock crushing andgrinding mill as defined in claim 1 in which the carriage support framemeans has a side frame mounted thereon adapted to receive weights foradded grinding pressure on hard rock material.